Pubby is a subscription-based platform that helps self-published authors receive Amazon book reviews by participating in a community of fellow authors and readers. Users earn credits ("Snaps") by reviewing books, then spend those credits to create review opportunities ("Assignments") for their own books. Reviews are written voluntarily and honestly by independent readers.
Below are answers to the questions authors most commonly ask about Pubby, Amazon reviews, pricing, review policies, and how the platform works.
You review books to earn "Snaps" (credits).
Spend snaps to create review opportunities. You create an assignment for your book. You choose details, such as turnaround time and review type (Verified Purchase, Kindle Unlimited, Free Promotion, or Standard).
Real readers browse available books in the Library and choose assignments that interest them, including your book.
They read your book. If they choose to leave a review, they post it directly on Amazon. If they don't leave a review, your assignment returns to the Library so another reader can claim it — without costing you additional Snaps.
Pubby is a community-powered system. The more you participate, the more Snaps you earn — and the more review opportunities you can create for your book. Active members see the best results.
What Pubby is, what it costs, and who it is built for.
Pubby is a subscription-based platform that helps self-published authors receive Amazon book reviews by participating in a community of fellow authors and readers.
Users earn credits ("Snaps") by reviewing books, then spend those credits to create review opportunities ("Assignments") for their own books. Reviews are written voluntarily and honestly by independent readers.
Pubby offers a 10-day free trial, followed by monthly and yearly subscription options.
Pubby is designed for:
Yes, absolutely. Many of our authors join after publishing their first book. If you ever decide to publish books in the future, you can easily add them to your account, and manage all of your book's marketing campaigns in one place.
We do not charge per book: you may add an unlimited number of books to your account, as long as you are their true author or publisher.
In most cases, yes. Pubby works as a participation-based system where authors earn credits (snaps) by reviewing books, which they can then use to receive reviews.
Pubby also offers a Pro plan designed for publishers and authors managing multiple books. Pro members receive snaps automatically each month, which can reduce the need to actively review books.
However, most Pro members still choose to review books in order to earn additional snaps beyond what is included in the plan.
Where Pubby reviews come from, and the rules readers follow.
Yes. All reviews on Pubby come from real readers.
Pubby does not control what reviewers say. Pubby does not hire reviewers or pay people to review books.
No. There is no requirement to leave a positive review. Readers are expected to leave honest feedback based on their experience with the book.
No. Readers are not forced to leave a review after reading a book. This helps ensure that reviews remain voluntary and authentic.
If the reader does not write a review — that's OK! — we will simply find you a new reader without you having to spend more credits.
Readers are expected to meaningfully engage with books before reviewing, yes.
Pubby encourages:
Users who repeatedly submit generic or factually inaccurate reviews will be removed from the platform.
No, Pubby is not a direct review exchange. Traditional review exchanges involve two authors agreeing to review each other's books. Pubby instead uses a credit-based system where:
This creates a more distributed and natural review process. It also helps encourage honest reviews, since readers don't have to be so concerned about "revenge reviewing" as they would be in typical author groups.
Readers can easily remain anonymous. By choosing a pseudonym as your Amazon reviewer name, authors whose books you review can never know your true identity or find your books. We encourage pseudonyms precisely for this reason — to encourage honest reviews without fear of retribution by overly sensitive authors.
How Pubby is structured around Amazon's published review guidelines.
Amazon does not officially endorse or approve Pubby or other third-party book marketing platforms. Since launching in 2019, Pubby has served tens of thousands of authors while maintaining a platform designed around Amazon's published review guidelines.
Pubby is structured to align with Amazon's review guidelines by:
As with any marketing strategy, authors should review Amazon's latest policies and use Pubby responsibly. We've observed that authors who aggressively pursue reviews across multiple platforms or write unusually large numbers of reviews themselves may increase the likelihood of attracting Amazon's scrutiny.
How many reviews to expect, and how quickly.
The number of Amazon book reviews you receive depends on several factors:
Pubby does not guarantee a specific number of reviews, since all reviews are voluntary and written independently by readers.
Because Pubby is a participation-based system, authors who are more active on the platform typically see stronger results. Many active users generate a steady flow of reviews — often one or more per week — with higher results possible depending on activity level and book demand.
Most authors begin receiving Amazon book reviews within a few days of getting started. In some cases — particularly with high-demand or lower-length books — reviews can happen even sooner.
However, timing can vary depending on:
Because Pubby is a participation-based system, authors who are more active typically see faster results. With consistent use, many authors are able to build a steady flow of reviews over time.
No. Pubby does not guarantee reviews because all reviews are voluntary and written independently by readers.
Pubby is best suited for authors who want to steadily build Amazon reviews through active participation in a community of readers. Many members find the subscription worthwhile because it allows them to build a consistent flow of reviews without paying separately for each one.
However, Pubby may not be the best fit if you're looking for guaranteed positive reviews or prefer not to participate by reading and reviewing other authors' books.
What you can promote, and the review options available.
We welcome virtually every genre and category, including fiction, nonfiction, children's books, activity books, political books, and books marked as explicit.
When you submit your Amazon book URL, Pubby automatically scans your book's product page. If Amazon has marked your book as explicit, we'll label it accordingly on Pubby so readers can make an informed decision before signing up.
Some of the many types of books supported on Pubby include:
Yes. Authors who publish paperback-only books can participate on Pubby. These authors would utilize our Standard review option. For this option, authors upload a PDF file of their book. We encrypt the file, which only your actively assigned reader can then download for free.
Paperback books cannot participate in our Verified Purchase review option, since delivery times can vary so greatly and complicate our process.
At this time, Pubby does not offer advanced reviews. The best time to join Pubby is the day or two prior to launching your book, so you can become familiar with our site and ask our support team any questions that might come up.
How Pubby differs from other ways of building reviews.
Unlike many review services, Pubby:
Pubby also supports multiple types of review opportunities, including:
This gives authors flexibility in how they promote their books while still maintaining a system driven by real, independent readers.
Yes — authors may also use:
Pubby is one option that focuses on a community-driven, credit-based system.
Since 2019, Pubby has helped tens of thousands of self-published authors connect with real readers through a participation-based community. Rather than selling reviews or guaranteeing positive feedback, Pubby gives authors a structured way to build review momentum while encouraging independent, voluntary reviews from fellow readers. Whether you're publishing your first book or managing a large catalog, Pubby is designed to help you grow your book's credibility over time through authentic reader engagement.
Our US-based support team is happy to help.